Food, Farmland, & Open Space

"We can now get just about any food we want, at any time of the year, if we are willing to pay the costs - financial and environmental - of transporting it." -- Hannah Twaddell, from "This Little Piggy Went to Market"


"Protecting farm fields, orchards, rangelands, and pastures from development secures a rural county's recreational, scenic, and quality of life benefits." -- Keith Schneider, from "Farmland Protection: What's Behind the Growing Interest?"

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illustration by Paul Hoffman, © Planning Comm'rs Journal

Articles
Summary
Land Conservation: Communities are recognizing the need to plan for open space -- as a way to preserve sensitive areas, maintain water quality, safeguard view corridors, and much more.
Green Infrastructure
by Edward McMahon
Your town, city, or county undoubtedly has an infrastructure plan dealing with water, sewer, roads, and utilities -- the gray infrastructure. But has it planned as well for green infrastructure, such as trails, greenways, river corridors, and bike paths? Ed McMahon discusses the growing interest in planning for systems of green space.
Growing Greener: Conservation Subdivision Design
by Randall G. Arendt
Noted conservation planner Randall Arendt has developed a framework for subdivision review that encourages the preservation of open space and natural areas, while enhancing the market value of development. Arendt's model ordinance reverses the standard subdivision review process by focusing first on the conservation of natural areas and last on the detailed layout of houselots. Sidebars explore key aspects of the model ordinance.
Transfer of Development Rights
by Peter Buchsbaum, Esq.
A look at some of the legal issues that can come up with TDR programs.
Putting Growth In Its Place With Transfer of Development Rights
by Rick Pruetz
Transfer of development rights offers communities a way of saving environmentally sensitive areas, farmlands, historic landmarks, and other important resources. A look at how transfer of development rights programs work, and what makes some more successful than others.
Land Trusts and Planning Commissions: Forging Strategic Alliances
by Joel S. Russell
Land trusts provide an important resource for communities concerned about preserving open space and natural resources. Joel Russell provides an introduction to land trusts -- and explores how planning commissions and land trusts can work cooperatively to achieve open space protection goals. With sidebars highlighting a dozen land trusts from across the country.
Preserving the Working Landscape: The desire to preserve productive farmland, and keep it economically viable, has prompted planners to explore a range of techniques.
F is for Farmland
by Laurence Gerckens, FAICP
Planning historian Laurence Gerckens provides a brief review of agricultural land preservation efforts. From Gerckens' Planning ABCs publication.
Purchase of Development Rights: Preserving Farmland and Open Space
by Gayle Miller & Douglas Krieger
The purchase of development rights, or PDRs, is an increasingly used tool in state and local land preservation efforts. Gayle Miller and Douglas Krieger provide an introduction to PDR programs: how they work, what they can accomplish, and questions that often come up in developing a program.
Farmland Protection: What's Behind the Growing Interest?
by Keith Schneider
Why more towns, cities, and counties are recognizing the benefits of farmland protection, and some of the strategies being used to keep land in agricultural use.
Feeding Our Communities: Communities are looking to understand and improve their local food systems, by examining how and where food is grown, distributed, and consumed.
This Little Piggy Went to Market: The Journey from Farm to Table
by Hannah Twaddell
The food we consume literally travels the globe. We can now get just about any food we want, at any time of year, if we are willing to pay the costs -- financial and environmental -- of transporting it. A look at how food moves.
Community Food Needs & Opportunities
by Amy Souza
Many people are looking to improve their community food systems, in which food is grown, processed, distributed, and consumed locally. A look at the use of food assessments and food councils.
Farmers' Markets
by Roberta Brandes Gratz
Now numbering more than 2,400 nationwide, local farmers' markets provide one of the best ways of increasing downtown activity, while offering a valuable outlet for area farmers. Author and lecturer Roberta Brandes Gratz takes a closer look at the role farmers' markets can play -- and why they've become so popular.
Wanted: Downtown Grocery Stores
by Kennedy Smith
As Americans' taste for downtown living grows, so does their appetite for downtown grocery stores. So, why is it still rare to see a grocery store downtown? Economic development consultant Kennedy Smith provides some answers.
Take a look also at our other "Taking a Closer Look" reprint sets